Further delineation of the KBG syndrome caused by ANKRD11 aberrations

Loss-of-function variants in ANKRD11 were identified as the cause of KBG syndrome, an autosomal dominant syndrome with specific dental, neurobehavioural, craniofacial and skeletal anomalies. We present the largest cohort of KBG syndrome cases confirmed by ANKRD11 variants reported so far, consisting of 20 patients from 13 families. Sixteen patients were molecularly diagnosed by Sanger sequencing of ANKRD11, one familial case and three sporadic patients were diagnosed through whole-exome sequencing and one patient was identified through genomewide array analysis. All patients were evaluated by a clinical geneticist. Detailed orofacial phenotyping, including orthodontic evaluation, intra-oral photographs and orthopantomograms, was performed in 10 patients and revealed besides the hallmark feature of macrodontia of central upper incisors, several additional dental anomalies as oligodontia, talon cusps and macrodontia of other teeth. Three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry was performed in 14 patients and 3D analysis of patients compared with controls showed consistent facial dysmorphisms comprising a bulbous nasal tip, upturned nose with a broad base and a round or triangular face. Many patients exhibited neurobehavioural problems, such as autism spectrum disorder or hyperactivity. One-third of patients presented with (conductive) hearing loss. Congenital heart defects, velopharyngeal insufficiency and hip anomalies were less frequent. On the basis of our observations, we recommend cardiac assessment in children and regular hearing tests in all individuals with a molecular diagnosis of KBG syndrome. As ANKRD11 is a relatively common gene in which sequence variants have been identified in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, it seems an important contributor to the aetiology of both sporadic and familial cases.     

In vivo treatment with recombinant IL-12 protects C57BL/6J mice against secondary alveolar echinococcosis

Using an experimental model of hepatic Echinococcus multilocularis infection in C57BL/6J mice, intraperitoneal administration of 0.8 μg of recombinant IL-12 to mice with an established infection was shown to reduce the parasite burden as soon as two weeks after the end of treatment. At that time, in vitro Echinococcus multilocularis -induced spleen T cell proliferative responses as well as IFN-γ and IL-5 production were higher in IL-12 treated mice than in untreated mice. Administration of 0.8 μg of IL-12 at the time of infection was shown to be without effect on the parasite establishment. However, this treatment greatly inhibited the subsequent metacestode development. Indeed, ten weeks after infection, it induced a complete healing in 37.5% of mice. At that time, the development of metastases was inhibited in 68.75% of IL-12-treated mice. This reduction of parasite burden was mainly associated with a strong proliferation of spleen cells to E. multilocularis antigen and with a high IFN-γ production. Altogether, our results show that IL-12 is of crucial importance in inhibiting the larval growth after the metacestode establishment in the liver and suggest that this cytokine could be of potential value in the treatment of human alveolar echinococcosis .     

Alström Syndrome: Mutation Spectrum of ALMS1

Alström Syndrome (ALMS), a recessive, monogenic ciliopathy caused by mutations in ALMS1, is typically characterized by multisystem involvement including early cone‐rod retinal dystrophy and blindness, hearing loss, childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiomyopathy, fibrosis, and multiple organ failure. The precise function of ALMS1 remains elusive, but roles in endosomal and ciliary transport and cell cycle regulation have been shown. The aim of our study was to further define the spectrum of ALMS1 mutations in patients with clinical features of ALMS. Mutational analysis in a world‐wide cohort of 204 families identified 109 novel mutations, extending the number of known ALMS1 mutations to 239 and highlighting the allelic heterogeneity of this disorder. This study represents the most comprehensive mutation analysis in patients with ALMS, identifying the largest number of novel mutations in a single study worldwide. Here, we also provide an overview of all ALMS1 mutations identified to date.     

RP-HPLC法测定β-司他夫定的有关物质

目的:建立了β-司他夫定原料有关物质的RP-HPLC测定方法和水解破坏制备系统适用性试验溶液方法。方法:采用Agilent 1100型高效液相色谱仪,使用SUPELCOSIL LC-18-DB(4.6 mm×250 mm,5μm)色谱柱,以0.01 mol·L-1醋酸铵溶液-乙腈(96.5∶3.5)和0.01 mol·L-1醋酸铵溶液-乙腈(75∶25)为流动相,梯度洗脱,检测波长254 nm,柱温25℃。结果:β-司他夫定和4种已知杂质及其他未知杂质均能达到有效分离;经水解破坏产生的α-司他夫定与β-司他夫定的分离度均达2.8;β-司他夫定、胸腺嘧啶、β-胸苷与5-O’-苯甲酰-司他夫定线性范围分别为0.51~26μg·m L-1(r=1.000)、0.13~27μg·m L-1(r=1.000)、0.50~25μg·m L-1(r=1.000)、1.7~6.3μg·m L-1(r=1.000),已知杂质胸腺嘧啶、β-胸苷与5-O’-苯甲酰-司他夫定的平均加样回收率(n=9)分别为102.8%(RSD=1.5%)、100.6%(RSD=0.9%)、101.9%(RSD=2.1%);β-司他夫定与3种已知杂质的最小检出量均在2.5 ng以下;经水解破坏制备的系统适用性溶液的重复性良好;供试品溶液在4℃下的30 h内基本稳定。结论:本方法灵敏、准确、可靠,专属性强,可用于β-司他夫定原料的有关物质测定。     

Incidence of new diabetic patients on dialysis in Piedmont,Italy: Major changes recorded over a 10-year period

Different incidence rates of new diabetic patients on dialysis are reported in various settings; although prevalence of this disease is often considered a marker of acceptance policy, rates are thought to be influenced also by genetic, epidemiological and other characteristics of a population (genetic composition, age distribution, lifestyle). Moreover, since features of a general population are often not stable (as in the setting analysed) changes at this level may have important reflections in the incidence of diabetics with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In the region studied (Piedmont, northern Italy, about 4400 000 inhabitants, 20 dialysis centres, open acceptance since the mid-1970s, yearly information on 100% of patients, gathered by a Dialysis and Transplantation Registry) the incidence of diabetic patients with ESRD (389 cases recorded 1981–1990: 222 males, 167 females: mean age at start increasing from 55.5 years in 1981–1985 to 58.7 years in 1986–1990) differs according to age and sex. Incidence was higher in males, and rose from 6.23/year patients per million population (p.m.p.) in 1981–1982 to 12.88/year p.m.p. in 1989–1990, with a peak at age 60–69 (from 18.46/year p.m.p. in 1981–1982, to 46.12/year p.m.p. in 1989–1990). While relatively stable in the younger age groups from 1981 to 1990, incidence increased in the elderly (males age 70–79: 7.12/year p.m.p. in 1981–1982, 26.08/year p.m.p. in 1989–1990). As regards clinical and metabolic patterns, at the first update, in 1986–1990, 88.3% of diabetic patients were hypertensive or taking hypotensive drugs; albumin levels were below the normal range (<3.5 g/dl) in 30.3%; cholesterol levels were below the normal range (<150 mg/dl) in 16.15%. As regards entry criteria, creatinine clearances ranged from <1 to 14 ml/min (mean values at first update: 3.45±2.76 ml/min). In conclusion, presentation of diabetic patients with ESRD is changing. The stability of incidence in the younger age groups confirms the appropriateness of an open acceptance policy, at least for these ages. The increase in the elderly probably reflects the longer lifespan of diabetic patients in the overall population, while the influence of a hidden preselection must be further assessed. Since this cohort increasingly requires in-hospital high-tolerance treatment, future provision of dialysis needs must take into account the trend towards an increase in this high-risk elderly population.     

幽门螺杆菌感染对胃黏膜病理变化的影响

背景：幽门螺杆菌(H．pylori)感染已被公认为慢性胃炎和消化性溃疡的重要危险因素，根除H．pylori能加速消化性溃疡的愈合，但其对胃黏膜病理变化的影响尚有待进一步探索。目的：了解根除H．pylori对慢性胃炎胃黏膜病理变化和癌前状态的影响。方法：采用多中心随机对照临床试验和回顾性队列研究，样本选自胃癌高发区：上海郊区的金山区和奉贤区。共纳入360例经内镜检查证实有H．pylori感染的慢性胃炎伴或不伴十二指肠溃疡患者，随机分为两组。治疗组用三联疗法(质子泵抑制剂或Hz受体阻滞剂加两种抗生素)治疗，对照组单纯慢性胃炎患者予西沙必利、十二指肠溃疡患者予西米替丁治疗。在第1年和第4年末随访胃镜，根据H．pylori是否根除将患者分为两组：H．pylori阳性组和H．pylori阴性组。所有胃黏膜活检标本由两位病理科医师统一复读。结果：至第4年末，有120例患者完成全部随访，其中H．pylori持续根除组54例，阳转组5例；H．pylori持续未根除组45例，阴转组16例。持续根除组第1年随访时，活动性炎症比例减少(P＜O．05)；第4年随访时，慢性炎症和肠化程度以及活动性炎症比例减少(P＜O．05)。持续未根除组第1年随访时，慢性炎症程度增加(P＜O．05)；第4年随访时，慢性炎症和肠化程度以及活动性炎症比例增加(P＜O．05)，萎缩程度较第1年随访时增加(P＜O．05)。结论：根除H．pylori可以减轻慢性胃炎的炎症程度，防止肠化的发生和发展。     

Clinical and diagnostic aspects of cystic insulinoma

Cystic endocrine tumors of the pancreas rarely occur, and only a few cases of cystic insulinoma have been reported to date. Diagnosis of insulinoma could be difficult if the functional activity is incomplete, possibly leading to blunted symptoms of hypoglycemia and failure in the laboratory to provide evidence of hyperinsulinemia. We report a clinical case of cystic insulinoma confirmed by histological examination after surgery, characterized by a high intracystic insulin concentration despite normal blood basal levels of the hormone. New diagnostic findings from dynamic tests and cystic fluid examination have been carefully focused on.     

Dynamic assessment of a composite arterial Y-graft achieving complete myocardial revascularization: transthoracic echo-Doppler correlates with myocardial scintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: Composite arterial grafts are presently being used ever more frequently in coronary bypass surgery. We assessed the composite radial artery and in situ left internal thoracic artery Y-graft by means of transthoracic echo-Doppler and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). METHODS: In 53 patients who underwent complete myocardial revascularization using only this composite arterial graft, good transthoracic echographic images and pulsed Doppler signals of the Y-graft main stem were obtained at rest and early after standard exercise; the echographic parameters were measured. Stress/rest MPS was the gold standard for residual myocardial ischemia. The patients with negative MPS were divided into groups according to the number of coronary vessels grafted and their history of preoperative myocardial infarction. RESULTS: The diastolic-to-systolic ratio of the peak velocities and velocity-time integrals both at rest and after stress, and the stress-to-rest ratio of the diastolic peak velocities and diastolic velocity-time integrals in the negative MPS patients were significantly greater than in the 6 positive MPS patients. However, the restricted number of positive MPS cases limits the power of this statistical analysis. The stress-to-rest ratio of the diastolic velocity-time integrals in the patients with three grafted coronary vessels (median 2.3) and in those without preoperative myocardial infarction (median 2.1) were respectively greater than in the patients with two vessels grafted (median 1.7, p < 0.0001) and those with preoperative myocardial infarction (median 1.8, p = 0.0048). CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic assessment with transthoracic echo-Doppler of a composite arterial graft including the in situ left internal thoracic artery correlates with MPS. In patients with negative MPS, transthoracic echo-Doppler correlates with the myocardial demand.     

Corticobasal and ataxia syndromes widen the spectrum of C9ORF72 hexanucleotide expansion disease

Recently, a hexanucleotide (GGGGCC) repeat expansion in the first intron of C9ORF72 was reported as the cause of chromosome 9p21‐linked frontotemporal dementia‐amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD‐ALS). We here report the prevalence of the expansion in a hospital‐based cohort and associated clinical features indicating a wider clinical spectrum of C9ORF72 disease than previously described. We studied 280 patients previously screened for mutations in genes involved in early onset autosomal dominant inherited dementia disorders. A repeat‐primed polymerase chain reaction amplification assay was used to identify pathogenic GGGGCC expansions. As a potential modifier, confirmed cases were further investigated for abnormal CAG expansions in ATXN2. A pathogenic GGGGCC expansion was identified in a total of 14 probands. Three of these presented with atypical clinical features and were previously diagnosed with clinical olivopontocerebellar degeneration (OPCD), atypical Parkinsonian syndrome (APS) and a corticobasal syndrome (CBS). Further, the pathogenic expansion was identified in six FTD patients, four patients with FTD‐ALS and one ALS patient. All confirmed cases had normal ATXN2 repeat sizes. Our study widens the clinical spectrum of C9ORF72related disease and confirms the hexanucleotide expansion as a prevalent cause of FTD‐ALS disorders. There was no indication of a modifying effect of the ATXN2 gene.